VTL/Wilson/dCSJA's Equal Best Sound at RMAF

Wired with Transparent cables, the extreme audio system in the large room at the Denver Tech Center HyattdCS Vivaldi digital source, VTL TL7.5 III preamp, VTL Siegfried power amps, Wilson Alexandria XLF speakers driven full-range and twin Thor's Hammer subwoofers driven by 250Wpc Parasound Halo A 21 amplifiers below 38Hzworked its magic both on the disco-meets-EDM of Daft Punk's "Lose Yourself to Dance" and the delicate harmonic traceries of Dave Wilson's Debussy violin sonata recording transferred to DSD by Puget Sound's Bruce Brown. In both cases, there was a sense of loss when the music stopped. It is difficult to imagine how music reproduction could get any better than what I heard in this room the Saturday afternoon of the show!

To show off what the subwoofers could do, Wilson ambassador Peter McGrath (above) played me a recording of John Williams' Liberty Fanfare, performed by the Air Force Band. Usually the bass drum is placed sideways on to the audience, but in this case it faced the microphones and had been struck with what Peter described as the "mallet of death!" And indeed, you could almost see the onset of the waveform as it left the Wilson speakers and subwoofers and struck you in the chest!

The team of violinist David Abel and pianist Julie Steinberg, whose two recordings for Dave Wilson are some of his best, are based in Oakland, CA. It would be great if someone would bring them to an audio show so folks could hear them live. They are wonderful musicians.